There are several "main" themes to this famous Shakespearen play, Richard III. Personally speaking, there could be as much themes as possible since people read and interpret the play in different ways. However, this page will focus on three most common (or generally used) themes in Richard III. First of all, what is a theme? It is basically "a big idea" or concept that novels and plays represent as a whole. To begin with, one of the themes in Richard III is that the language play a huge role in controlling people's minds. In spite of his evilness and physical deformity, Richard still appears to be a charming man due to his powerful way with words. When Richard persuades Anne to marry him and finally wins her are probably the most incomprehensible scenes of the play. Although he is a total villain who takes advantage of people for his own gains, he succeeds in bewitching her with his persuading skills. Anne, who hates Richard deadly, curses him, "Never hung poison on a fouler toad. Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes." Nonetheless, after hearing Richard's wooing, she fails to kill him or tell him to commit suicide. Richard has taken the control over her and he snobbishly claims, "I will have her, but I will not." Elizabeth Woodvile, Edward IV's wife, is another one of the victims who is in order to seize the throne. When Richard schemes to marry Elizabeth's daughter, he again uses his manipulating skills to deceive her. However, Elizabeth turns out to be even more cunning than Richard. She kind of suggests that she would help Richard win her daughter, while in fact she turns against him by letting her daughter marry Richmond, Richard's enemy. Anyways, Richard's tact indicates that being able to manipulate others by talks is one of the necessary talents to take control and rule. Another important theme is humans' thirst for power. Richard is craving for power and he uses any means to achieve his goal. Most characters in the play are being engulfed by Richard's horrible scheme to destroy them all. Richard is quite ruthless and has no mercy for who gets in his way or has turned against him. When Buckingham,who was once his right-hand man, hesitates to carry out the task, Richard quickly gives up on him yelling "Thou troublest me; I am not in the vein" (Act IV, scene ii.) When humans get too greedy and ambitious, they become cold-hearted and inhumane. Richard's heart never possesses a sense of guilt; instead aggression and anger have conquered it - he never regrets that he sheds blood. His theory or way of getting what he wishes is associated with the "end satisfies means" idea. Lastly and most importantly, Richard III is a historical play, which illustrates the true life story of the infamous king, Richard III. Shakespeare describes the rise and decline of this king dramatically. The point is, a theme or "a big idea" that Shakespeare wants to express in this play is that Richard III was such a merciless and ambitious man who poisoned and corrupted the other people for his own success. Witnessing Richard's ruthless means to take over the throne, we could see that the power struggle in royal court was extremely intense in the old days. In order to survive and win, you ought to take advantage of others and defeat them. "To live or to die." That is how things worked in 14th century in England.Thus, through the life of Richard III, we are to learn a lot of things such as how evil human could be, the power struggle, and decline that follows one's glorious moments.
Themes of Richard III :) author: Minori.Y
There are several "main" themes to this famous Shakespearen play, Richard III. Personally speaking, there could be as much themes as possible since people read and interpret the play in different ways. However, this page will focus on three most common (or generally used) themes in Richard III. First of all, what is a theme? It is basically "a big idea" or concept that novels and plays represent as a whole.
To begin with, one of the themes in Richard III is that the language play a huge role in controlling people's minds. In spite of his evilness and physical deformity, Richard still appears to be a charming man due to his powerful way with words. When Richard persuades Anne to marry him and finally wins her are probably the most incomprehensible scenes of the play. Although he is a total villain who takes advantage of people for his own gains, he succeeds in bewitching her with his persuading skills. Anne, who hates Richard deadly, curses him, "Never hung poison on a fouler toad. Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes." Nonetheless, after hearing Richard's wooing, she fails to kill him or tell him to commit suicide. Richard has taken the control over her and he snobbishly claims, "I will have her, but I will not." Elizabeth Woodvile, Edward IV's wife, is another one of the victims who is in order to seize the throne. When Richard schemes to marry Elizabeth's daughter, he again uses his manipulating skills to deceive her. However, Elizabeth turns out to be even more cunning than Richard. She kind of suggests that she would help Richard win her daughter, while in fact she turns against him by letting her daughter marry Richmond, Richard's enemy. Anyways, Richard's tact indicates that being able to manipulate others by talks is one of the necessary talents to take control and rule.
Another important theme is humans' thirst for power. Richard is craving for power and he uses any means to achieve his goal. Most characters in the play are being engulfed by Richard's horrible scheme to destroy them all. Richard is quite ruthless and has no mercy for who gets in his way or has turned against him. When Buckingham,who was once his right-hand man, hesitates to carry out the task, Richard quickly gives up on him yelling "Thou troublest me; I am not in the vein" (Act IV, scene ii.) When humans get too greedy and ambitious, they become cold-hearted and inhumane. Richard's heart never possesses a sense of guilt; instead aggression and anger have conquered it - he never regrets that he sheds blood. His theory or way of getting what he wishes is associated with the "end satisfies means" idea.
Lastly and most importantly, Richard III is a historical play, which illustrates the true life story of the infamous king, Richard III. Shakespeare describes the rise and decline of this king dramatically. The point is, a theme or "a big idea" that Shakespeare wants to express in this play is that Richard III was such a merciless and ambitious man who poisoned and corrupted the other people for his own success. Witnessing Richard's ruthless means to take over the throne, we could see that the power struggle in royal court was extremely intense in the old days. In order to survive and win, you ought to take advantage of others and defeat them. "To live or to die." That is how things worked in 14th century in England. Thus, through the life of Richard III, we are to learn a lot of things such as how evil human could be, the power struggle, and decline that follows one's glorious moments.